Rail fastening



Patented sept. 12, 1944 RAIL FASTENING Marvin L. Cantrell and Oscar A. Hed,- Pueblo, Colo., asslgnors to The Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation,- Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application May 26, 1942, Serial No. 444,518

1 Claim.

the rail against its seat with a spring action andV is concerned more particularly with a novel fastening of this type in which the spring lock is held in its operative position on a tie plate by its action on a retaining member. The new fastening may be installed readily, requires little or no servicing, andmay be made at low cost.

Rail fastenings have been devised heretofore in which a resilient rail lock is pivotally mounted in an opening in the tie plate and is held in position by a retaining member in the form of a spike disposed in the same opening in engagement with the outer face of the lock. In such fastenings, the spring lock normally exerts an outward thrust on the spike and is adapted to fulcrurn on its pivotal mounting under the spring reaction so as to take up automatically any looseness which might otherwise develop between the parts due to wear, corrosion, etc. The proper functioning of this type of fastening, however, is dependent upon its correct installation and adequate maintenance. Unless the spikes adjacent the spring locks are driven carefully and uniformly the locks will normally exert different pressures on the rail, which is objectionable. Also, when the track is faulty, due, for example, to looseness of the ties on the bed, splitting or deterioration of the ties, or improper seating of the tie plates on the ties, there is a tendency for the spikes adjacent the locks to work out of the ties. This is so because each of the spikes is wedged in the plate by the spring lock with a greater thrust than the holding power of the tie, so that when the plate moves upwardly from the tie under the action of passing rail loads, the spikes tend to move with the plate out of the4 tie instead of the plate moving along the spike.

In another form of rail fastening, the spring lock is held in position by a retaining member which lies wholly above the bottom of the tie plate, a fastening of this type being shown in Boyce Patent No. 2,258,315. These fastenings, however, require a special form of aperture in the tie plate for receiving the spring lock. That is, the plate opening is undercut, and a lateral projection on the spring lock extends into the undercut portion so that the overhanging'part of the plate prevents upward movement of the lock incident to the wave motion of the rail. The punching of undercut openings in the tie plate requires the use of special tools and increases appreciably the cost of the assembly.

(Cl. 23S- 349) Moreover, in fastenings of this type it is necessary' to distort the lock by means of a special tool to permit insertion of the retaining member.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel rail fastening of the type including' a spring lock held in position by a retainer, which does not require an undercut opening for the lock and may be installed without the use of av special tool for distorting the lock. A rail fastening made in accordance with the invention comprises a tie plate having an opening on one side of the rail seat and a spring lock disposed in the opening. The lock is generally C-shaped with its upper arm engaging the top of the rail base, the lower arm being disposed under and engaging the bottom surface of the plate. A retainer is driven into the plate opening between the outer face of the lock and the outer wall of the opening and acts to wedge the lock rmly against the inner wall of the opening so that the upper arm of the lock exerts a thrust of a predetermined magnitude on the top of the rail base.

In the preferred construction, the retainer is 'provided with a tapered shank and a shoulder projecting laterally from the top of the shank and normally engaging the top of a raised abutment extending transversely of the plate adjacent the rail seat, the abutment being Wide enough to accommodate the opening for receiving the lock and to provide a raised surface outwardly of the opening against which the shoulder cf the retainer is driven. The retainer may be provided above the shoulder with a head by which the retainer may be held to position its shank in the plate opening, the head providing a suitable striking surface for use in driving the retainer into position.

The retainer'shank preferably tapers downwardly vand slightly outwardly from the shoulder to a point in the mid-section of the shank, and then inwardly and downwardly to the lower end of the shank. The lower inwardly tapered portion of the retainer shank thus forms a wedge by Which the retainer may be forced down between the spring lock and the outer wall of the opening in the tie plateand the upper outwardly tapered portion of the shank forms an inverted wedge which, due to the spring action of the lock, securely holds the retainer in position.

The spring lock may be installed readily by simply inserting it in the plate opening with its upper arm in engagement with the rail base and striking the upper portion of the lock with a hammer or the like so that the lower arm is driven down below the surface of the tie. which may have a recess previously formed therein for receiving the lock. By reason of the form of the lower part of the lock and the fulcrum action of the upper arm on the rail base, the lower arm of the lock thus is driven downwardly and inwardly under the tie plate, until the lower part of the lock engages the bottom surface of the plate. At this time the upper part of the lock is held away from the inner wall of the opening by engagement of the upper arm of the lock with the top of the rail base. The lower tapered end of the retainer is then inserted between the outer face of the lock and the outer wall oi the plate opening and is driven downwardly until the retainer shoulder engages the top of the raised abutment on the plate. In the downward movement of the retainer, the tapered portion of the shank acts as a wedge and forces the upper part of the spring lock inwardly toward the rail about the lower part of the lock as a pivot. Thus the lock pivots iirst on its upper arm in driving the lower arm into the tie under the plate, and then on its lower arm when the lock is wedged inwardly by the retainer.

When the retainer has been driven down to the limit set by the shoulder, the spring action of the lock tilts the upper portion of the retainer shank outwardly so that it is fiat against the outer wall of the opening in the plate. With the retainer in this position. the outward and downward taper of the upper portion of its 'shank forms'an inverted wedge securely holding the retaineragainst accidental withdrawal and against gradually being worked loose. Also the spring lock, by reason of its reactive force against the retainer, auto matically takes up any looseness which might otherwise develop Yin the parts. The spring lock is of sturdy construction and lies close to the rail flange so that it is not likely to be damaged by dragging equipment, thus affording an added feature of safety. The spring lock and the plate opening for receiving it may be easily formed, and the opening is adapted to accommodate either the lock and retainer or a spike or other holddgwn means, so that the parts are interchangea le.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawlng. in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of the new fastening;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fastening shown in Fig. 1 and,

Fig. 3 is-a longitudinal sectional view of part of the fastening shown in Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating the position of the parts when the retainer is first inserted in the opening.

The new rail fastening, as shown, comprises a tie plate I seated on a tie II and having a canted rail seat- I2 for supporting the rail I3. Extending transversely of the tie plate on each side of the rail seat is a rail abutment shoulder I4. Preferably, each shoulder is formed by an upwardly projecting portion on the plate extending outwardly a substantial distance from adjacent the rail base, so as to provide a generally horizontal raised surface which terminates in a downwardly inclined surface Ila. The raised portion Il-Ila may be formed on the top of the plate in a rolling operation.

At each side of the rail seat, the tie plate is provided with a substantially square opening IB extending completely through the plate from the held yieldingly on its seat by a spring lock I 1 which. shown, comprises a section of relatively heavy spring metal, the lock being preferably of rectangular section and having an upperrail engazing arm I8 and a generally vertical shank portion I9 which is integrally connected to the arm I8 by a. reinforced throat Ia. ,The lock is disposed in the opening I8 and is provided at its lower portion with an inwardly extending arm 2o generally parallel to the arm I8 but substantially shorter, the arm 2li lying in a recess 20a in the tie under the plate and extending under part of the plate adjacent the inner wall of the opening, whereby the plate prevents upward movementy of the lock in the opening.

The spring lock is held in position in the opening by a retainer 22 comprising a shank 23 wedged into the opening between the outer wall of the lock and the outer wall of the plate opening, the wedging action of the retainer serving to hold the vertical portionV I9 of ,the lock against the inner wall of the opening. The upper outer surface 23a of the shank tapers slightly outwardly and downwardly so that the shank portion diverges gradually from the shoulder to a protruding point 23h, and the lower outer surface 23e tapers downwardly and inwardly relatively sharply to the end of the shank. Preferably, the inner face 22a of the retainer is flat and contacts the outer curved surface of the lock approximately in the line of thrust of the rail flange above the level of the protrusion 23h and below the top of the rail abutment shoulder I4. Above its shank portion 23, the retainer is provided with an outwardlyv extending shoulder 24 engaging the top of the raised shoulder I4 of the plate outwardly of the opening, and above the shoulder the retainer has a striking head 25.

In the installation of the new fastening, the lock I1 is inserted in the opening I6 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with the lower arm 20 of the lock engaging the inner wall of the plate opening. In this initial position of the lock, its outer surface engages the outer portion of the raised abutment I 4 and the arm I8 engages the top of the rail base. The upper surface of the lock above the opening is then subjected to a series o f angular blows which cause the lock to fulcrum on its rail engaging end I8 as a pivot while the lower end portion 20 is forced under the tie plate. The lower end of the arm 20 may be sufilciently sharp to penetrate the tie and move inwardly beneath the plate under the impact of the blows, but advantageously, the recess or depression 20a under the plate opening I6 is preformed to facilitate the application of the spring lock. After thus initially introducing the lock into engagement with the plate bottom and the top of the rail base, the lower tapered end of the retainer 22 is inserted in the space between the lock and the outer wall of the plate opening. The head 25 of the retainer is then subjected to a sharp blow or series of blows which forces the retainer downwardly in the opening until its shoulder 24 engages the top of the raised plate shoulder I4. The retainer in its downward movement acts as a wedge and causes the lock to pivot on the lower inner edge of the plate opening I6,

the upper arm I8 of the lock being urged inwardly and upwardly on the rail base to the position shown in full lines in Fig, 1. In the final position of the parts, the edge of the rail base may be engaged by the reinforced throat portion I8a of the lock.

top of the raised portions I4-I4a. The rail is 76 It will be apparent that 1n the installation 0f the fastening, the lock I'I cannot be overdriven because the inner wall of the plate opening limits the inward movement of the lock, and the retainer l22 cannot be overdriven due to engagement of the shoulder 24 with the raised plate portion M-Ma.. The distortion of the spring lock and the resulting spring action transmitted to the rail and plate are directly proportional to the change of the angular relation between the lock arms I8 and 20, the degree of which may be predetermined and controlled by the form and physical properties of the lock itself. The sturdiness of the lock and the locking action of the retainer 22 provide a high factor of safety against torque or other stresses developed iri the lock incident to its resistance to movements of the rail and to the action of high speed traflic.

Because of the wedging action of the retainer 22 and the angular relation of the lock arms I8 and 20 to the shank portion I9 of the lock, the driving of the retainer causes the lock arm I8 to f .forced apart to distort the lock. The distortion of the lock produces a reactive force in the form of an outward thrust against the retainer 22 above the level of the protrusion 23h. Consequently the upper portion of the retainer shank is tilted outwardly n the protrusion as a pivot so as to lie fiat against the outer wall of the opening I6. As the surface 3a of the retainer shank tapers outwardly and downwardly with respect to the lock engaging surface 22a, it forms an inverted wedge between the vlock and the plate which positively secures the retainer in the plate opening. Thus the retainer is prevented from working loose or becoming accidentally withdrawn as a result of vibration or other cause.

The spring action developed on the rail base and the tie plate through the lock arms I8 and 2l)v serves to retard the vertical movement of the rail incident to passing wheel loads and also dampens vibration and opposes lateral and longitudinal movement of the rail on the plate due to trame conditions or thermal changes in the rail itself. Because of the lateral reactive force of the lock on the retainer, any looseness which might otherwise develop between the parts in the plate opening and the walls of the opening due to wear, corrosion, etc., is automatically taken up by movement of the lock in a clockwise direction on the lower inner edge of the'plate opening as a pivot.

Since the lower arm of the lock is driven under the bottom surface of the tie plate, it is unnecessary to provide `a special form of plate opening having an undercut portion for receiving the arm. Accordingly, the opening I6 may be made substantially square throughout its length so that it will accommodate either the fastening parts II-22 or the usual spike for hold ing the tie plate to the tie. The plate may be held to the tie by the use of conventional bolts,

lag screws, screw spikes, or the like. However, we prefer to secure the plate to the tie by the use of a form of spike 3i having its front and back sides parallel and l(its lateral sides tapered from the head downwa dly to the normal crosssection of the spike, the length of the tapered portion being substantially equal to the depth of the plate opening, and the taper being of a degree to provide a wedged bearing with the sides of the plate opening so that these sides prevent driv- -ing of the spike head against the top of the rail base. This construction insures retention of the spike head in spaced relation to the rail base, as shown at the left in Fig. 1. If desired, additional spike openings 32 may be provided in the tie plate outwardly of the raised abutments I4|4a and these openings are preferably proportioned so that they exert a wedging action on the tapered sides of the spike shank, as described in connection with the spike 3I.

We claim:

In a rail fastening assembly, the improvement comprising a tie-plate seated on a tie, a recessed rail-seat in the top of the tie-plate, a rail supported in the recess, a plate-opening immediately adjacent the rail seat, a raised abutment shoulder on the tie-plate forming a walled backing around three sides of the plate-opening above the level o1' the recessed seat, said walled backing being adapted to resist reactive i'orces transmitted laterally through securing means in the opening by nic-vement of the rail when a Wheel load is moved thereon, a spring-lock in the plate-opening having one end disposed under and engaging the bo-ttom 0I' the tie-plate and the other end engaging the top of the rail base with a spring action, said spring-lock being generally C-shaped and lying close to the rail flange so that it is not likely to be damaged by dragging equipment, a retainer driven into the opening between the spring-lock and the outer wall of the opening, said retainer being provided with a laterally extending shoulder and a shank below the shoulder wedged into the opening and the wedging action of the retainer serving to hold the vertical portion of the spring-lock in the opening against the i11- ner wall of the opening, the upper outer surface of the shank tapering slightly outwardly and downwardly so that the shank portion diverges gradually from the shoulder to a protruding point, and the lower outer surface of the shank tapering downwardly and inwardly relatively sharply to the end of the shank, said vertical portion of the spring-lock in the opening having its engaging surface contiguous to the retainer tapering inwardly and downwardly so that, the retainer forms an inverted wedge between the springlock and the tie-plate, the laterally extending shoulder engaging the top of the raised abutment shoulder of the tie-plate adjacent the opening and the retainer being provided with va striking head above the laterally extending shoulder.

MARVIN L. CANTRELL. OSCAR A. HED. 

